Wednesday, April 17, 2013

With Spring already upon us, it
is time to start thinking about the warmer months ahead- and of the holiday
adventures that await. If your dogs are anything like mine, then they will be
looking forward to taking a break every bit as much as you are! Travelling with
any pet requires adequate preparation, as all experienced travelers will know
only too well. To help make life on the road with your dog more enjoyable and
comfortable for both of you, here are our top five must pack products:

Seat Belt Harnesses

Although the law varies from
country to country, in my home nation, the UK, it is a little known fact that
all dogs travelling in cars should be adequately restrained. This means that
even if your dog is an extremely well-behaved passenger you could be breaking
the law if it isn’t properly buckled in. One option is to transport your dog in
a crate, but if you would rather not use this option (and my two Borders are
the perfect example of dogs that would rather not!) there are alternatives.
These days there are several great seat belt harnesses especially designed for
dogs available on the market. Adjustable for all sizes of dog, they allow your
pet to travel safely in the main body of the car without danger of falling off
the seat or jumping up and distracting the driver.

Identification Tags

Whether it is via micro-chipping
or a more traditional name and address tag, you should always make sure that
your dog can be easily identified should it get loose. When travelling away
from familiar surroundings dogs are far more likely to get spooked and make a
bolt for it. Although this is unlikely to happen, you do want to be prepared.
In my local neighborhood most people would recognize my dogs should they break
out of the garden (which thankfully they haven’t) but on the road the same
simply does not apply. Your dog should already be easily identifiable but if
they are not, then before you set off on the road is the perfect time to take
care of this important detail.

Seat Covers

This is another product which we
have found to be invaluable. Once again there are a wide variety of seat covers
on the market but all work in the same basic manner by clipping in place over
the rear seats of the car. Some even hook around the headrests of the front
seats forming a hammock style effect and a really comfortable travelling
environment for your dog. Covers not only help keep hairs off the seats but
also muddy paws, which on holiday are
almost certainly unavoidable! Some people use dog beds for the
same purpose but these are hard to use in conjunction with a harness. All good
covers should be compatible with seat belt harnesses, but if you can’t afford a
cover then a towel or rug should do the job.

Something old and something new

Although some dogs love
travelling, others find it to be a stressful experience. A good way to help
mitigate this is to bring along some familiar items such as toys, or if you can
manage their own bed. Bringing along some of their favorite treats for the
journey can really help to keep them happy and relaxed. Holidays are also a good
time to try out some new toys or dog clothes.
There are so many brilliant toys on the market that it is hard to know where to
start, but if your dog is a strong swimmer and you are heading near
safe-to-swim-in water, then you might want to look at some of the floating aqua
toys which are available from most good pet stores.

Water dispensers

Of all the gadgets which we have
bought for our dogs over the years, this has proven to be one of the most
invaluable. Keeping your dogs hydrated is incredibly important when you are
travelling with them and these products help make that much easier. There are
many different designs from non-spill bowls to bottles with fold out trays but
they all fulfill the same function of allowing you to easily carry and present
water whilst on the move. We wouldn’t leave home with one!

These are five products which we
have found to be invaluable when we are travelling with our dogs- but we could
quite easily write a list of twenty! Please share your most treasured travel
products in the comments below.

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